1st Time For Baton Rounds In London

It was reported on the lunchtime news (LBC 97.3fm) that the Met will be using baton rounds/rubber bullets at the student demo in town this week. So far I’ve been unable to find any other corroboration but I see no reason to doubt the report; LBC are usually pretty fast & accurate with their news reporting.

This will be the first time that a police force has used rubber bullets in mainland Britain and is a fairly momentous step. I guess it puts an end to policing by consent and “the public are the police and the police are the public”.

I’ll add to the post as and when I learn anything more.

*****It looks like it’s Wednesday 9th – there’s also a protest by London’s cabbies in Trafalgar Square on the same day.*****And yet – Baton Rounds: Risks outweighed benefits*****4,000 Met police will be on duty to police an expected 10,000 students. It’s confirmed that baton rounds will be issued. So, there we have it. Policing by consent has flown out of the window in Britain.

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."